Maritime logistic and supply support relies on the use of marine (water borne) vessels, helicopters and in some cases light aircraft for transportation of materials and personnel to and from offshore facilities and locations.
Typically bulk and heavy material is transported using supply boats, self propelled barges and the like, personnel may be carried on fast crew boats, ferries, helicopters or light aircraft dependent on the facility location, availability of a suitable airstrip and distance from the point of embarkation.
Research suggests that a niche exists in the maritime personnel and light materials transportation environment for distances between 50 and 1,000 miles. Below 50 miles fast surface vessels dominate and beyond 1,000 miles aircraft are the preferred solution. A potential opportunity exists to penetrate this market in the area of fast or “hot shot” logistical response using wing-in-ground-effect technology. However, to date, wing-in-ground-effect technology has gained barely limited acceptance, and at best can only be regarded as being in its infancy.
The wing-in-ground-effect craft, which is alternatively known as a wing-in-surface-effect craft, was first successfully developed in the early 1960's in the former USSR where it was known as “ekranoplan”. Subsequent developments in other parts of the world have experimented with varying degrees of success, with different configurations. Russian development work culminated in the 1970's with the development of large waterborne ground-effect craft capable of the rapid deployment of masses of military equipment and personnel in and around the Caspian Sea.
For longitudinal stability nearly all known wing-in-ground-effect craft have relied on a relatively large horizontal tail plane, when compared with aircraft. This horizontal tail plane is nearly one third the size of the main wing in many craft, and sometimes larger. Another design originating in Russia used two equal sized wings in tandem, and in-line, effectively the rearward wing replacing the horizontal tail plane.
It is an object of this invention to provide a wing-in-ground-effect craft having a differing configuration from those hitherto described and used.
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